2013 Santa Fe Science-Writing Workshop

Monday, May 6

3 p.m. Begin checking in at Inn of the Governors.

4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. Registration packets will be available for pickup at a table in the lobby.

5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Reception (cash bar). (Participants only. Guests will be welcome at later events.)

6:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Dinner followed by introductions. Meet the students and instructors. (Participants only.)

Tuesday, May 7

6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Continental Breakfast at hotel.

8:30 a.m. Meet in hotel lobby for a ride to the School of Advanced Research. Drivers, including commuters and instructors, are asked to help with the carpooling.

9:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Welcome by James Brooks, president of SAR.

9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. "The Nuts and Bolts of Science Writing." By dissecting the current week's issue of Science Times, the instructors, joined by David Corcoran, the section's editor, show how the pros turn science's discoveries into compelling, accurate stories.

10:45 a.m. to 12 noon. Presentation by anthropologist Dean Falk.

12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Picnic lunch on the grounds. Meet with your group for the first time and discuss the morning's presentation.

1:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Presentation by resident scholar Alex Blanchette.

(Students may use the talks as the basis for a writing assignment, which will be critiqued during the workshop sessions. See the FAQ for details.)

3:15 p.m. Stroll around the grounds.

4:00 p.m. Return to hotel.

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Meet in the hotel conference room for more discussion about what we learned at SAR.

6 p.m. Explore the Plaza; forage for dinner.

Wednesday, May 8

6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast at hotel.

9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. "Behind the Scenes at the New York Times." David Corcoran describes how he and the staff go about finding, reporting, and presenting the week's science news, both on paper and online.

10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Paul Raeburn. The mayordomo of the Knight Science Journalism Tracker tells how to identify what makes bad writing bad and good writing so good. The aim is not only to develop a critical eye, but to learn from the best.

12 noon to 1 p.m. Lunch at the hotel.

1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. George Johnson describes the three-year saga of reporting and editing that led to his National Geographic story, Chasing Lightning. Jamie Shreeve, the editor of the piece, gives his side of the story.

2:45 to 5 p.m. Workshop session. Students will break into groups and meet with their assigned instructor.

5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Public reading and book signing by the instructors at Collected Works bookstore.

7:45 p.m. Explore the Plaza; forage for dinner.


Thursday, May 9

6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel.

9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Robert Lee Hotz. The most compelling science writing depends on the most basic reporting techniques. Ten tips for reporting the big story, with examples from leading science writers, including Hotz's series Butterfly on a Bullet, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing.

10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Jamie Shreeve. An inside look at how all components of a story -- text, photography, graphics, mapping, and design -- come together to make a feature in National Geographic Magazine.

12 noon to 1 p.m. Lunch at the hotel.

1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Workshop session. Meet with your instructor.

3 p.m. Meet in hotel lobby for an optional field trip to Bandelier National Monument. Guests are welcome. Bring sunscreen, hat, water, and (depending on the forecast) rain gear. (If you prefer to stay in town, you can walk to the Plaza and some nearby museums or explore Canyon Road and Santa Fe's historic Eastside.)

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Explore the ruins at Bandelier.

7:30 p.m. Dinner at Tomasita's Restaurant in the Railyard. (Cash bar. Guests welcome.)

9:15 p.m. Return to hotel.


Friday May 10

6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast at hotel.

9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Meet for the final time with your group.

12 noon to 1 p.m. Lunch at the hotel.

1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Freelancing workshop. Christie Aschwanden leads a discussion on how to survive and even prosper as a self-employed science writer. Robert Lee Hotz joins in with advice on how all science writers can position themselves professionally and practice their craft in the new media age.

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Instructors will be available to meet informally with students. Meanwhile relax and prepare for the week's big event.

5:30 p.m. Meet in hotel lobby for a ride to the barbecue. (Guests welcome.)

6 p.m. to whenever. Barbecue at Sandra Blakeslee's house. (The drinks are on us.)

Saturday, May 11

6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel. Please check out before attending the final session. Luggage can be left at the front desk.

9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sandra Blakeslee. "Dueling Authors." Sandy Blakeslee describes her recent project -- working with two neuroscientists on a book about magic -- and considers the benefits and pitfalls of journalist-scientist collaborations.

10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Closing discussion and farewell.